Rotary switch with replaceable contacts and detent apparatus



Feb. 22, 1966 Q. P. HOLLEMAN ROTARY SWITCH WITH REPLACEABLE CONTACTS AND DETENT APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1964 ATTORNEY Feb. 22, 1966 Q. P. HO LLEMAN ROTARY SWITCH WITH REPLACEABLE CONTACTS AND DETENT APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2'7, 1964 INVENTOR OUA/VAH I? HOLLE'MAIV EL A 445 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,236,959 ROTARY SWITCH WITH REPLACEABLE CON- TACTS AND DETENT APPARATUS Quanah P. Holleman, Norfolk, Va., assignor to Michael A. Tabet, Norfolk, Va. Filed Jan. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 340,170 4 Claims. (Cl. 200-11) The present invention pertains to circuit making and breaking devices of the type wherein wiper arms are moved in arcuate paths into engagement with and disengagementfrom circumferentially spaced contacts and the invention relates to a switch assembly wherein the contacts are carried by a panel shaped wafer unit which supports wiper arms for movement with respect to the contacts.

An object of the invention is to provide a switch assembly wherein a panel formed of insulating material carrying conductors and switch means thereon is releasably supported with the conductors engaging contacts of a multiple contact receptacle forming a part of the switch assembly including plate means releasably holding the panel in operative relationship with the contacts and having an opening therethrough accommodating an actuating handle for the switch arms.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a rotary switch assembly wherein the structure of each wiper arm unit provides a conductive member extending from a wiper arm at one side of the wafer panel to a wiper arm at the other side of the panel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch assembly which includes at least one removable wafer unit wherein a projection at one edge of the wafer panel provides part of a detent mechanism holding the actuating handle for the switch in its operated positions.

Other objects and features of the invention will be appreciated and become apparent to those skilled in the art as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the accompanying drawing taken in conjunction with the following detailed description wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

} In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a switch assembly embodying the invention adapted for substantially flush mounting with a wall or the face of the switchboard.

, FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view on a larger scale and taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged perspective view of one of the wiper arm units.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational sectional view of a portion of the wafer panel and a portion of the rotor illustrating a step in the assembly of a wiper arm unit on the rotor.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 66 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the 'wafer panel with the rotor member and the actuating handle omitted.

FIG. 9 is a View of the frame structure with the cover plate and the wafer unit removed.

Referring to the drawing there is shown at 10 a frame which may be of rectangular formation viewed in section and includes a top wall 11 and a bottom wall 12. The side walls 14 and 15 of the frame join the top and bottom walls. The frame is attached to a front plate 16 by any suitable means such as by lugs 17 and 18 carried by the top and bottom walls 11 and 12 and screws 19. The plate 16 forms a part of the switch frame and is adapted to cover an outlet box or to close an opening in a switchboard.

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The top and bottom walls of the frame 10 are provided with guideway grooves 21 and 22. In the embodiment shown in the drawing the guideway groove 21 is formed in an elongated member 23 secured to the top wall 11 by means of rivets 24. A similar member 26 secured to the bottom wall 12 by rivets 27 is provided with the guideway groove 22. The grooves 21 and 22 are arranged in a single plane. The front plate 16 is provided with a slot 31 which is of such dimension as to provide an open area between the guideway grooves 21 and 22.

A multiple contact receptacle 32 of a conventional type and formed of insulating material is mounted on the frame 10. The multiple contact receptacle may be secured to the rear portion of the frame in any suitable manner such as by means of screws 33 which extend into the members 23 and 26. The multiple contact receptacle 32 is provided with a slot extending longitudinally of the central interior thereof which is aligned with the grooves 21 and 22 and is adapted to receive an end portion of the wafer unit. Resilient contact elements are supported Within the slot of the multiple contact receptacle along opposite sides thereof. These contact elements extend through the multiple contact receptacle and provide terminals 34 for the switch assembly.

A panel shaped wafer unit 20 as best shown in FIG. 8 is formed of insulating material and is generally rectangular shaped. The edge portions 36 and 37 are adapted to be accommodated in the guideway grooves 21 and 22. A shoulder 38 on the wafer panel is adapted to engage a shoulder 39 formed on the member 23 and a similar shoulder 41 on the wafer panel is adapted to engage a shoulder 42 formed on the member 26. These inter-engaging shoulders limit the inward sliding movement of the wafer unit into the frame 10. The wafer unit carries conductors 43 thereon which extend to circumferentially spaced contacts 44 carried by one face of the wafer. The contacts 44 are arranged about a relatively large central opening 46. Similar circumferentially spaced contacts (not shown) are provided at the opposite face of the panel and conductors extend therefrom and terminate at the edge 47 of the wafer. When the wafer unit 20 is in position shown in FIG. 3, end portions of all of the conductors 43 carried by both faces of the panel engage the contact elements within the slot of the multiple contact receptacle 32.

A rotor 52 is mounted on the wafer unit 20 for rotation substantially in the plane of the panel. The rotor is formed of two disc-shaped elements 54 and 55 which when assembled in face to face relationship is accommodated in the circular opening 46. The disc-shaped element 54 carries an annular flange 56 and the disc-shaped element 55 carries an annular flange 57. These flanges overlie opposite faces of the wafer panel 20 adjacent the opening 46 and prevent dislodgment of the rotor from the panel. Rivets or the like are employed to hold the discshaped elements 54 and 55 in assembled relationship but such fastening elements are not relied on for providing electrical conductors from one face of the rotor to the other face.

A plurality of wiper arms 61 are mounted on one side of the rotor 52 and a'plurality of wiper arms 62 are mounted on the opposite side of the rotor. In order to provide a reliable electrical connection from one wiper arm 61 to an associated wiper arm 62 a bridge element 63 as best shown in FIG. 4 is provided which connects one wiper arm with the other. Each wiper unit is desirably formed of sheet metal and the bridge element 63 is formed integral with both arms 61 and 62. The arm portions 61 and 62 are resilient and extend beyond the periphery of the rotor 52 and are adapted to engage the I contact 44 on opposite faces of the wafer panel.

In order to provide for the mounting of a wiper unit on the rotor 52 after the disc-shaped elements 54 and 55 are assembled and arranged within the opening 46 a slot 66 is provided in the panel as best shown in FIG. 8. This slot extends from an edge of the panel to the central opening 46. The bridge member 63 of the wiper unit is arranged in the slot 66 and moved towards the periphery of the rotor 52 as shown in FIG. 5. A radially disposed slot 68 provided in the disc-shaped elements 54 and 55 at the periphery of the rotor 52 accommodates the bridge element 63 when the slot 68 is in radial alignment with the slot 66. The wiper arms 61 and 62 then overlie opposite faces of the rotor 52 and opposite faces of the panel. Rivets 69 extend through openings 71 in the wiper unit and holes 72 in the disc-shaped elements 54 and 55. These rivets hold the Wiper blade unit in place and also secure the disc-shaped elements 54 and 55 to each other. Any number of suitable wiper units may be mounted on the rotor 52. When the wiper arms 61 are in the position shown in FIG. 3 and in engagement with the contacts 44 the wiper arms 62 at the other faces of the panel engage contacts on that face of the wafer panel. Thus in the embodiment shown in the drawing ten circuits are completed through the switch assembly when the rotor 52 is in the position shown in FIG. 3.

An actuating handle 76 is attached to the rotor 52. The handle is bifurcated at its inner end to lie along opposite faces of the rotor and to span the panel. The handle may be secured to the rotor by means of rivets 77. The front edge portion of the wafer panel adjacent the outer end of the slot 66 carries two projections 78 and 79. A spring urged plunger 81 mounted within the handle 76 is adapted to engage the edge of the panel between the projections 78 and 79 when the switch is in the On position shown in FIG. 3. The handle 76 is desirably formed of insulating material and may be moved to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3 to cause the rotor 52 to turn in a clockwise direction and move the wiper arms 61 and 62 from engagement with the contacts 44 to the Off position when the plunger 81 engages the lower angular surface of the projection 79. The plunger in cooperation with the projections provides a releasable detent mechanism holding the handle 76 in either operated position.

A cover plate 82 is provided with an opening 83 through which the handle 76 extends. The plate 82 overlies the frame plate 16 and closes the slot 31. The projections 78 and 79 on the wafer panel extend through the opening 83 as shown in FIG. 3. The plate 82 prevents the wafer unit 20 from being dislodged or withdrawn from the frame and the multiple contact receptacle 32. The plate 82 is releasably held in place by screws 84 (FIG. 1) which are threaded in openings 86 in the frame plate 16.

While the invention has been described With reference to structural details it will be appreciated that the size of the frame 10 may be increased to accommodate a number of wafer units in side by side spaced relationship. The number of contacts and conductors arranged on each wafer unit may be varied along with changes in the number of the wiper arms. Such modifications and others may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch of the rotary type, a panel of insulating material, said panel having an opening therethrough, a rotor mounted for rotation within said opening to turn in the plane of said panel, circumferentially spaced contacts carried by opposite faces of the panel adjacent said opening, said panel having a slot therethrough extending from one edge of the panel to said p ng, i t r having a slot in a peripheral portion adapted to be aligned with the slot in said panel, a wiper arm at one face of the panel for engaging and disengaging the contacts at the associated face of the panel, a wiper arm at the opposite faces of the panel for engaging and disengaging the contacts at the associated face of the panel, a bridge element connecting said Wiper arms and extending through the slot in the rotor, and means securing the Wiper arms to the rotor.

2. In a switch of the rotary type, a panel of insulating material, said panel having an opening therethrough, a rotor mounted for rotation within said opening to turn in the plane of said panel, circumferentially spaced contacts carried by opposite faces of the panel adjacent said opening, said panel having a slot therethrough extending from one edge of the panel to said opening, said rotor having a radially disposed slot in a peripheral portion adapted to be aligned with a slot in said panel, a wiper arm for engaging and disengaging the contacts at one face of the panel, a wiper arm for engaging and disengaging the contacts at the other face of the panel, a bridge element connecting said wiper arms, said bridge element being movable through the slot in the panel and through the slot in the rotor, means securing the Wiper arms to the rotor with the bridge member accommodated in the slot in the rotor, a projection on said panel, an operating handle secured to the rotor extending beyond said projection, and a spring biased member carried by the handle for engaging opposite portions of said projection.

3. In a switch of the rotary type, a panel of insulating material, said panel having an opening therethrough, a rotor mounted for rotation within said opening to turn in the plane of said panel, circumferentially spaced contacts carried by a face of the panel adjacent said opening, a wiper arm carried by said rotor for engaging and disengaging said contacts, conductors extending from said contacts and carried by said panel, a frame, a contact receptacle supported by the frame with the conductors engaging the contacts thereof, said frame supporting the panel for movement from the contact receptacle, an operating handle secured to the rotor extending beyond an edge of the panel, a detachable plate carried by the frame overlying said edge of the panel, and said plate having an opening therethrough which the handle extends.

4. In a switch of the rotary type, a panel of insulating material, said panel having an opening therethrough, a rotor mounted for rotation Within said opening to turn in the plane of said panel, circumferentially spaced contacts carried by a face of the panel adjacent said opening, a wiper arrn carried by said rotor for engaging and disengaging said contacts, conductors extending from said contacts and carried by said panel, a frame, a contact receptacle supported by the frame with the conductors engaging the contacts thereof, said frame supporting the panel for movement from the contact receptacle, an operating handle secured to the rotor extending beyond an edge of the panel, a detachable plate carried by the frame overlying said edge of the panel, said plate having an opening through which the handle extends, a projection on the panel extending to the opening in said plate, and a spring actuated member carried by the handle for engaging opposite sides of the projection.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,662,942 12/1953 Winkler 200-18 3,089,923 5/1963 Wright ZOO-11X KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SWITCH OF THE ROTARY TYPE, A PANEL OF INSULATING MATERIAL, SAID PANEL HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH, A ROTOR MOUNTED FOR ROTATION WITHIN SAID OPENING TO TURN IN THE PLANE OF SAID PANEL, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED CONTACTS CARRIED BY OPPOSITE FACES OF THE PANEL ADJACENT SAID OPENING, SAID PANEL HAVING A SLOT THERETHROUGH EXTENDING FROM ONE EDGE OF THE PANEL TO SAID OPENING, SAID ROTOR HAVING A SLOT IN A PERIPHERAL PORTION ADAPTED TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE SLOT IN SAID PANEL, A WIPER ARM AT ONE FACE OF THE PANEL FOR ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING THE CONTACTS AT THE ASSOCIATED FACE OF THE PANEL, A WIPER ARM AT THE OPPOSITE FACES OF THE PANEL FOR ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING THE CONTACTS AT THE ASSOCIATED FACE OF THE PANEL, A BRIDGE ELEMENT CONNECTING SAID WIPER ARMS AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE SLOT IN THE ROTOR, AND MEANS SECURING THE WIPER ARMS TO THE ROTOR. 